American
aid to Israel is a two-way street. Aid to Israel is America’s greatest defense bargain.

Aid to IsraelDoes the U.S. get its moneys worth?

Israel and Egypt are the two largest recipients
of U.S. aid. For its“participation” in the Gulf War,
Egypt was forgiven its indebtedness of $9 billion. Israel pays its
bills. It receives $2.8 billion every year. Of that amount, $2.0
billion is for military aid and $0.8 billion for economic aid. It’s
fair to ask whether this is a good deal for the American taxpayer.

What are the Facts?

The only democratic country in the Middle East. Israel
is the only genuinely democratic state in the Middle East. It is committed
to freedom and equality, and the rule of law. It embodies the fundamental
values that are in tune with those of America and that America has
traditionally supported. Israel’s military and political importance
in the Middle East and its strategic position stabilize the entire
area, including the oil fields of the Persian Gulf. During the Cold
War, it was America’s indispensable rampart against the inroads
and expansionist ambitions of the Soviet Union. It is now a western
bulwark against the aggressive intents of Iran and other bellicose
nations that threaten the interests of the United States. It is a most
reliable partner in the promotion of Western strategic interests and
in the stabilization of the Middle East. Over 20% of its budget goes
for defense, compared to 7% in the U.S. and less than 1% in Japan.
Israel has one of the best armies in the world. Its navy and air force
are the major deterrent forces in the eastern Mediterranean.

Israel effectively secures NATO’s southeastern
flank, without having a single American soldier stationed in its territory.
Still, the superb military installations, the air and sea lift capabilities,
the equipment and food storage capacity, and the trained manpower to
maintain and repair sophisticated U.S. equipment are instantly at hand
in Israel. It is the only country in the area that makes itself available
to the United States, in any contingency.

Only fraction of aid stays in Israel. There
is no other country in the Middle East except Israel that can be considered
to have a stable government or populace friendly to the United States.
There is much danger that any military aid to Arab countries, and military
equipment given or sold to them, will suffer the same fate as the untold
billions of dollars and priceless military secrets that were lost to
our enemies in the debacle of Iran. Is Saudi Arabia more stable? Egypt?
Jordan? Kuwait? Judge for yourself!

Only a fraction of the aid given stays in Israel.
By far the largest share remains with American defense contractors.
Peter McPherson, former administrator of the Agency for International
Development, estimated that every billion dollars of aid to Israel
creates 60,000 to 70,000 jobs in the United States.

Compared to the $2.0 billion yearly military aid
to Israel, the U.S. contributes more than $130 billion(!) every year
to the defense of Europe and more than $30 billion to the defense of
Japan, Korea, and the Far East. Over 300,000 U.S. troops are stationed
with NATO and over 30,000 U.S. troops in the Far East. In contrast,
not one single U.S. soldier needs to be stationed and put at risk in
Israel. U.S. military analysts estimate that the U.S. would have to
spend the equivalent of $150 billion a year in the Middle East to maintain
a force equivalent to Israel’s.

There are many other benefits that the U.S. military
derives from Israel. Israel is the only country that has gained battlefield
experience with U.S. weapons. This experience is immediately conveyed
to the U.S. Enormous quantities of captured Soviet weapons and defense
systems were turned over to the U.S. military for analysis. Israel,
in the light of its experience, continually modifies U.S. weapons systems.
For instance, Israeli scientists have made over 200 improvements in
the F-15 alone and similar improvements, mostly in avionics, in later-generation
planes. It would be more in line with reality if military aid to Israel
were classified as part of the defense budget, rather than as “aid”.
Israel is truly America’s unsinkable aircraft carrier in the
Middle East. Former President Reagan put it well: “The fall of
Iran has increased Israel’s value as perhaps the only remaining
strategic asset in the region on which the United States can fully
rely.” American aid to Israel is a two-way street. Aid to Israel
is America’s greatest defense bargain.

This ad has been published and paid for by

Facts and Logic About the Middle East
P.O. Box 590359
San Francisco, CA 94159